To address the increasing impact of disasters and flooding in Nigeria, HEDA Resource Centre and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) are exploring a strategic partnership aimed at improving disaster risk management and flood preparedness across the nation. The meeting, held in Abuja, featured discussions between the HEDA team, led by Executive Secretary Mr. Sulaimon Arigbabu and Program Officer for Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development, Akinmayowa Shobo, and NIHSA representatives Engineer Aliyu Mohammed and Taiwo Bamgbose.
At the pivotal meeting, Mr. Arigbabu outlined HEDA’s ongoing work in environmental justice and sustainable development, emphasizing the need to strengthen collaborations with key government agencies to tackle climate change challenges. The discussion highlighted HEDA’s longstanding relationship with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the necessity of expanding these partnerships to address issues impacting frontline communities and smallholder farmers.
Engineer Aliyu Mohammed expressed interest in formalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between HEDA and NIHSA. The proposed MoU would leverage NIHSA’s hydrological expertise alongside HEDA’s grassroots outreach to improve data sharing, capacity building, and public awareness. This collaboration aims to enhance disaster risk reduction efforts and optimize the use of existing data from various sources, including NGOs and government agencies.
A significant portion of the meeting focused on developing a post-flooding map to aid recovery and planning efforts. Discussions also highlighted the need to improve the timeliness and effectiveness of early warning systems. HEDA raised concerns that NIHSA’s flood warnings are often not acted upon promptly, underscoring the necessity for delivering actionable information well in advance of flooding events.
Both parties acknowledged the potential of existing data from various organizations and committed to a coordinated approach to utilize this information effectively. HEDA pledged to share data collected through its outreach activities, including surveys and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials, with NIHSA.
In response to concerns about communication strategies, Mr. Arigbabu noted that HEDA uses local languages to ensure critical information reaches affected communities in an accessible and culturally appropriate manner. NIHSA agreed to support HEDA’s outreach efforts by providing sensitization materials and discussed the possibility of NIHSA personnel participating in HEDA’s radio programs to enhance messaging on flood risk and preparedness.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to schedule a follow-up meeting with NIHSA’s Director-General to formalize the proposed MoU. HEDA also invited NIHSA to participate in a high-level consultation on disaster risk management for smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities, held on August 28, 2024, alongside the launch of two reports from HEDA’s 2023 programmatic and research efforts.